The 2007 Charitable Giving & Volunteering Survey included 43 questions about volunteering, charitable giving, and organizations that respondents volunteered for, or made contributions to. Four hundred Kalamazoo County residents and 600 State of Michigan residents were interviewed.

•     Of the 600 state-wide respondents 49.5% were male, while 50.5% of the respondents were female. These results were similar when compared to the Kalamazoo County results; of 400 Kalamazoo County respondents 47.3% were male, while 52.8% were female.

•     The largest age groups of Kalamazoo County respondents were between 18 and 24 years old, and 35 to 44 years old (19.3% each). In the state-wide results the largest age group was 65 and older, which was 21.2% of respondents.

•     The largest percentage of respondents’ highest level of education was high school, Kalamazoo County (35.8%) and state-wide (33.7%).

•     Forty percent of respondents (37.8%) volunteered at a Kalamazoo County organization in the past year, 42.8% of the state-wide respondents stated they volunteered at a local organization.

•     Ten Kalamazoo County and 8 state-wide respondents stated they have volunteered at an arts, cultural, or humanities organization.

•     Fifty percent (51.0%) of Kalamazoo County respondents and 38.1% of state-wide respondents who volunteered have volunteered for religious organizations.

•     Nine percent (9.0%) of Kalamazoo County and 14.8% of state-wide respondents who volunteered, volunteered for physical or mental health organizations.

•     Nine percent (8.6%) of Kalamazoo County respondents and 15.2% of state-wide respondents who volunteered have volunteered for a youth development or recreation organization.

•     Thirty percent (30.5%) of Kalamazoo County respondents and 28.4% of state-wide respondents who volunteered said they volunteered for an education organization.

•     Three percent (3.3%) of Kalamazoo County respondents and 3.1% of state-wide respondents who volunteered have volunteered for a community action, political, or civil rights organization.

•     Survey respondents who volunteered were asked if they have volunteered at any social service organizations, 23.8% of Kalamazoo County respondents, and 17.9% of state-wide respondents volunteered for this type of organization.

•     When asked if they volunteered at any environmental, conservation or animal protection organizations, 4.6% of Kalamazoo County respondents who volunteered and 3.1% of state-wide respondents who volunteered have volunteered for this type of organization.

•     Survey respondents were also asked if they have volunteered at any work-related organizations, 3.3% of Kalamazoo County respondents who volunteered, and 6.6% of state-wide respondents who volunteered have volunteered for this type of organization.

•     Four percent (4.0%) of Kalamazoo County respondents who volunteered and 3.3% of state-wide respondents who volunteered, have volunteered for neighborhood groups.

•     Forty percent (39.1%) of Kalamazoo County respondents and 35.0% of state-wide respondents who volunteered stated their level of volunteering increased.

•     When asked why they volunteer, the most common answer for both the state-wide (60.7%) survey and the Kalamazoo County (47.0%) survey was, “enjoy the work.”

•     Of the Kalamazoo County respondents it was found that 13.5% have some time available, in the state-wide survey it was found that 11.0% of respondents had some time available they would consider volunteering.

•     In the Kalamazoo County survey it was found that 51.5% of respondents have donated to a charitable organization, while 57.7% state-wide respondents stated the same.

•     Of Kalamazoo County respondents who donated 60.7% and 53.5% state-wide respondents who donated, have donated to religious organizations in the past year.

•     Respondents were asked if they donated to any social service organizations, 69 Kalamazoo County respondents who donated and 103 state-wide respondents who donated, have donated to this type of organization.

•     Thirty-six Kalamazoo County and 60 state-wide respondents who donated have donated to a physical or mental health organization.

•     Three Kalamazoo County respondents and 13 state-wide who donated have donated to work-related organizations.

•     Eight percent (8.3%) of Kalamazoo County and 8.4% of state-wide respondents who have donated, have donated to a civic, social, or fraternal group within the past year.

•     Thirty percent (30.1%) of Kalamazoo County and 24.9% of state-wide respondents who donated, have donated to an education organization.

•     Eighteen Kalamazoo County and 25 state-wide respondents who donated have donated to an environmental, conservation or animal protection organization.

•     Respondents who donated were asked if they donated to any youth development or recreation organizations. In the Kalamazoo County survey it was found that 11.7% donated to this type of organization, while 12.7% of state-wide respondents donated to this type of organization.

•     Eleven percent (10.7%) of Kalamazoo County respondents who donated and 8.1% of state-wide survey respondents who donated, contributed financially to a community action, political, or civil rights organization.

•     Ten percent (9.7%) of Kalamazoo County respondents who donated and seven percent (6.6%) of state-wide respondents who donated, donated to an arts, cultural, and humanities organization.

•     In the Kalamazoo County survey it was found that 1.5% respondents who donated, and 2.6% of state-wide respondents who donated, donated to neighborhood groups.

•     In the Kalamazoo County survey it was found that 35.0% of respondents and 22.8% state-wide respondents of respondents that donated, stated their contributions increased.

•     In the Kalamazoo County survey 18.4% of respondents who donated stated they donated between $500 and $999 in their county, and 21.1% of state-wide respondents who donated, stated they donated the same.

•     Forty percent (37.9%) of Kalamazoo County and 35.8% state-wide respondents who donated, donated less than $50 outside their county in 2006.

•     It was found that most important factor was stories about the impact of the charity on people’s lives to Kalamazoo County (41.3%) and state-wide (33.2%) respondents.

•     Forty percent of Kalamazoo County respondents (39.0%) compared with 36.8% of state-wide respondents stated being more financially stable would increase their level of giving.

•     In the Kalamazoo County survey 7.3% of respondents and 5.2% of state-wide respondents stated yes, they have resources available they would consider donating.

•     In the Kalamazoo County survey 88.3% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the statement “By volunteering my time to a nonprofit organization, I can make my community a better place to live” compared with the state-wide survey, where 89.2% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed.

•     In the Kalamazoo County survey 92.0% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the statement “By making a financial contribution to a nonprofit organization, I can make my community a better place to live” compared with the state-wide survey, 86.8% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the statement.

•     In the Kalamazoo County survey 83.0% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the statement “County residents should volunteer at local nonprofit organizations” compared with the state-wide survey, 78.7% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed.